LUKBAN
soldiers were to rendezvous near Mateginan with their guns within five days of the date of the letter , which meant February 20 . Gilmore suspected that Lukban only wished to collect as many guns but that he had lost the will to fight . These guns would be surrendered with him .
But Gilmore ’ s speculations did not materialize . He would later realize that the opposite of what he thought was true , and that more than ever , Lukban was gearing up for more battles .
On the 25 th , after he was informed that Abuke had stored rice in Palapag mountains . He sent Capt . Dey and some troops the next morning to destroy the supply since he was in that vicinity . The information was genuine as the captain found 70 sacks in the place indicated , but no Abuke was to be found . He had reportedly gone up the mountains with some of his troops , as some of them returned to their villages . Dey burned the rice stocks .
Laguan was in the meantime occupied by Lt . Seaman following Gilmore ’ s orders . There was no opposition . Seaman had accordingly slipped into town unnoticed on the morning of the 23 rd , and was lucky to stop the town from being burned . There was an attempt to start the fire at the outskirts of the town , but the fire was put out before it could spread . The next few days were quiet for Seaman . He was also ordered to extend his patrol to the town of Lavesares everyday since Warner , Barnes & Co . had plenty of hemp in the place . In La Granja , there was more of the commodity .
On Gilmore ’ s return to Calbayog on February 21 , he was told that two Filipinos had been arrested for carrying letters from General Lukban to the presidente of San Policarpo . The communication was a circular letter to presidentes of towns , directing them to send men to Lukban in the mountains and urging them to wage a patriotic war . The two were detained . Gilmore sent out scouting parties to a small town above Oquendo but found things were quiet . 2
Catarman
Gilmore continued the cat-and-mouse game with Lukban as he and his troops moved around the vicinity of Catarman and Catubig , north of the island of Samar , while Lukban started to regroup his troops deep in the forests of Paranas , in the heart of the island .
On March 3 that same year , Gilmore learned that one of Lukban ’ s lieutenants , surnamed Rosario , had gone down from the mountains to the vicinity of Catubig valley apparently to loot and burn the place . But after learning that American troops were already in place , Rosario went back to the mountains . Gilmore ’ s arrival at Laguan was said to be
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